Southampton

Designated as the cruise capital of Britain, Southampton
is a large dynamic city and an ideal base
from which to explore the coastal areas of Hampshire.

Due to its extensive natural deepwater harbour,
the sea has always dominated the history and heritage
of Southampton. The Romans established a fortified
port here. The Saxons created an important town and
the Normans later fortified it to create the port of
Southampton. It is still one of Britain's leading commercial
seaports today, serving transatlantic liners, cruise
ships, ferries and hovercraft. In fact some of the
world's largest and greatest vessels have docked here,
including The Queen Mary, the QEII and the ill-fated
Titanic.

Southampton was awarded city status in 1964. With
its thriving commercial, industrial and university
sectors, it has grown greatly in importance since.
Although it is without a cathedral, the large 19th-century
church of St Mary's (near the city college) provides
an excellent stand-in.

Heavily bombed during Second World War, much of
the old town was lost to the Luftwaffe. Although, a
few medieval buildings still remain, including part
of the told own walls
and a several fine Tudor and Georgian houses. Jane
Austen, once lived in what is now the Old Town area,
from 1807 to 1809. A walking trail, which runs through
this historic quarter, has been dedicated to her name.
The Jane Austen trail and other related leaflets are
available from the Visitor Information Point in the
main library.

You can discover more about the city’s fascinating
history at the SeaCity
Museum. Other sites worth visiting are the
partial medieval walls, with its towers and
gatehouses and the Tudor
House.

Southampton has a long and important maritime and
aviation heritage. The Mayflower column outside the
West Gate commemorates the Pilgrim Fathers who sailed
from Southampton in 1620. A sculpture in East Park
is dedicated to the crew of the Titanic.

The waterfront was the proving grounds for many
of the first flying boats. It was also here that local
resident, RJ Mitchell, designed the famous WWII Spitfire,
which took its maiden flight from what is now Southampton
airport.

The port and docks have expanded over the centuries into a modern
passenger and container port. The Royal Pier, once England's largest
pleasure pier, is now in constant use for car ferries to the Isle of White
and Europe.

The city enjoys a vibrant year-round cultural life,
with contemporary civic buildings, theatres, museums
and art galleries.
At the heart of the city is a splendid shopping venue,
with hundreds of popular high street retailers. There
are two indoor shopping centres an impressive retail
park, several markets and many boutique outlets, that
cater for a wide range of tastes. For the more adventurous
there are a number of self-guided trails of the city's
historic areas and bracing boat trips on
the River Solent.

The
city is blessed with more that 1000 acres of green
open spaces, including several award winning parks.
It also boasts excellent sports and leisure facilities,
including several major sporting venues, leisure centres
and swimming pools.

Southampton also plays host to a diverse calendar
of festivals and events each year, from large national
and international events to smaller community events.